01 August, 2011

Debt Ceiling, TARP, Jobless Rate, and once again, just where is the Bailout for the Regular Guy?

After reading the article on Yahoo! on 01 Aug.11 about the U.S. Debt Ceiling http://news.yahoo.com/responses-debt-deal-range-angry-angrier-023415505.html

I thought it was time for a update on my article.  The original article follows immediately after the end of this one.

Now I am a Flag waving, Liberty loving monster fan of being an American, but how is it we are going to get the short end of the stick, again, when is comes to what the Obama Adminstration does with our money.

This is twice now Obama has stuck it to We The People. THEY say there will not be any effect on interest rates, fuel prices, and other items of interest to the general public. Yeah and THEY said the recession wouldn't last very long either. As the saying goes, You Shall Know The Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Mad.

If the U.S. Gov't can 'raise their debt ceiling' does that mean we can call our creditors an say, 'oh, hey, yeah we're a little low on cash, so we're following the example the Gov't has set and raising our debt ceiling. So we'll be spending more, just not paying more." How well do you think that will fly? Like a lead balloon.

If The State is not working properly, it needs to be rebuilt!

As I have said in the past, the Gov't needs to give Big Banking and the Credit Bureaus a kick in the pants and say "Give the people a break." Don't you think you have enough money and have caused enough trouble for the U.S. Economy?

Moratoriums on foreclosures, mortgage payments, car payments, etc... are what we need until this recession is truly behind us, and will give We The People a chance to catch our breath and get caught back up.

Giving Big Banking those Billions in bailout money didn't help We The People's current financial situation has it? Has the Gov't even gotten much, if any, of that money back?

The Gov't is worried about 'Deflation' which means a decrease in the general price level of goods and services. YES! That is what the country needs! How is it that a gallon of milk costs more than a gallon of gas? Why is the cost of heating and cooling your home taking a large chunk of your income?

If We The People don't have enough money to buy that gallon of milk then 'Deflation' which is in essence a decrease in the amount of money each person has, should be just the thing we need to jump start our economy as it will increase the value of our real money, it also is a benefit to those on fixed incomes. I'm sure most of you know at least one Baby Boomer. They are a large percentage of those on fixed incomes as well as those who are disabled and the unemployed.

Now, I know, lower prices means less demand which means less production, but that then leads to a lower prices which encourages people to buy.

I have said that I am in no way an Economist and those poor suckers should be without jobs considering what a mess they have gotten this country into, but it seems that deflation is exactly what is needed here in the Good Ol' U.S. of A.

We want our money to go farther right?! 'Inflation' makes it so that it doesn't go as far as it used to. Inflation causes a loss as it effects the real value our Dollar. We NEED to keep a balance between Inflation and Deflation next to Zero so our money can purchase more and our Gov't will understand what We The People are going through. Big Business and Big Banking should NOT be getting the bailouts,
WE SHOULD!

I am sure I will be adding more to this as time goes on, but I am looking forward to your comments.

***** Original Article *****

After reading the article on Yahoo! on 01 Apr., 10 about U.S. Treasury Sec. Timothy Geithner I was reminded of the way I and many others felt when our Gov't started bailing out the financial institutions to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars.

Yet we, the Average Joe got a paltry $250.00. How's that help? It barely would fill a Humvee gas tank.

I make no pretention as to being an Economist, and Heaven help those poor schmucks, but to me it makes more financial sense to let the big institutions and credit bureau's breathe their last, as they failed to do what they were hired and paid to do. That is protect We The People from what happened during the Great Depression. Now that this Depression/Recession
is even greater than the previous historic one.

The Gov't should have forgiven We The People our debts across the board, which in Biblical times was done after 7 years. This would have immediately improved the economy. Sure it would have killed many banks, credit unions, auto makers/dealers and other businesses worldwide, but at the same time it would have saved many global citizens from foreclosure, bankruptcy, and numerous other bills, etc...

This in turn would have ensured that the "Big Guys" would have to retune and rethink their business models and the way they have treated their customers.

Also how is it "good" for our jobless rate & economy to let American businesses take their shops overseas or out of the country where labor is cheaper. Of course the U.S. jobless rate would skyrocket.

Next is, and I know this will rattle some cages, if we cut down on what we import, for example Cars, and we "Buy American" then unemployment will go down and the economy will go up. How simple can it be?

Now I know it is 'good for business' and Gov't trade negotions to favor certain countries, read Most Favored Nation status, but come on! Open your eyes Big Gov't! How do you think we got in this mess? Simple... by sending our jobs, factories, et al out of the country and allowing other countries to import their goods to us.

I know we export to them as well and thus that does assist with the economy, but in a disaster of this magnitude we need to be keeping our money, our people, and our jobs in the United States, not exporting them.

Now from the link listed below the Chinese workers are finally realizing they have been getting a raw deal, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Companies-brace-for-end-of-apf-2437567795.html?x=0

It is time the U.S. Gov't stops granting foreign companies tax breaks and not to mention other benefits and incentives. Offer those to our homegrown employers to keep their companies in the U.S.A.!

Rick Goodwin, a China trade veteran of 22 years, has said, "The new game is to find a way to do the domestic market." Meaning here in the United States. Let's 'do the domestic market' some good and get those companies back in the United States.

Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" mocked Frisbee company Wham-O for returning half of the production for Frisbee and production for some other products back to the United States.

I say we should praise and reward Wham-O for returning to the U.S. and bringing jobs along with it. Then perhaps other American companies with production overseas would return to their native soil.

How is it that we have relinquished our freedom and liberty to tell those in positions of authority that we don't like the way they are governing?

Thomas Jefferson said, "When the Government fears the People, there is liberty. When the People fear the Government, there is tyranny." Although I also appreciate the paraphrasing of Jefferson's quote from the character V in V for Vendetta,
"People should not fear their government, the government should fear the people."

We The People should be critical of our government because the government is only interested in maintaining its power, which we in turn stupidly grant it.

A foretaste of a future article begins below.

It depends on who has the weapons. As long as we have the 2nd Amendment the government has to be afraid of the people...citizen or subject...a bullet stands in the way.

The reason our Colonies were able to have a successful break from England was because they had the firepower to do so. The balance of weapons and firearms in the United States is equal to or greater than all the combined U.S. Armed Forces.

Those nations who take the firearms from their masses convince their subjects that they will take care of them in their hour of need. The people believe it not realizing the reason the government took their firearms was to remove the threat to their governmental authority.

Mad Doc

Remember *Writing is the socially acceptable form of Schizophrenia*


Two of my favorite sayings in closing.

1) If we fail to anticipate the unforeseen or expect the unexpected in a universe of infinite possibilities, we may find ourselves at the mercy of anyone or anything that cannot be programmed, categorized or easily referenced.

2) "It is the duty of those who CAN see what is going on to expose to those who cannot see, the situation that they are unaware of!"